Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-08-19
SIEGE OF THE ALAMO.
An Eyewitness Tolls tho Story of That
Fierce and Bloody Fight.

some Southern writer concludes q
thrilling episodes in American history
the siege of the Alamo.
Colonel r. l.. Crompton, of Roxbury,
Mass, is probably the only living
American who was an eyewitness of
that fearful struggle, and from him
were obtained the facts on which this
article is founded He left his Massa-
chusetts home in the winter of 1884 to
hunt fortune in the West, He started
for Lexington, KY, but fell in with
band bound for Texas to join Colonel
Travis, then near San Antonio de
BeXar. He decided to cast his lot in
the struggle for Texan independence.
The party was made up largely of
young and fiery Kcntuckians and Ten
nessccans, some of them hardly moro
than boys. Many exciting incidents
marked their journey, but they finally
reached the great Lone Star State.
Young Crompton at once enlisted un-
der Colonel Milan.
"As soon MS we had gathered sufli-
cient strength" he said, telling the
rest of the story, 1--WE attacked the
Mexican forces in San Antonio. They
far outnumbered us, and desperate
struggle ensucd. For days we fought
in the streets and among the adobe
houses, each one of which was nina
ture fortress. With picks and spades
we dug our way through the walls
from house to house. The fight for
the Vereminda House was fierce and
bloody, but at last we drove the Mexi-
cans out and took possession.
"Our triumph was soon turned to
mourning. On that very day, Milan,
our beloved leader, fell dead, shot by
Mexican who lay concealed behind
wall on the opposite side of the San
Antonio river. We did not retain the
house long, as the advance of Santa
Anna compelled us to withdraw, lcav-
ing Travis with less than one hundred
and fifty men to garrison the place.
II shall never forget the day when
young Maverick dashed into our camp
with the news that Travis, refusing to
retreat, was shut up in the Alamo and
surrounded by an overwhelming force,
while Houston was so weak he could
not come to the rescue.
~ started off to join the imprisoned
band. 1t was hopeless undertaking,
as soon found when got bullet in
me. l crawled away in the darkness.
A Mexican whom had befriended dur
ing our occupation of the city gener-
ously agreed to conceal me in his
house. A narrow window commanded
an excellent view of one front of the
Alamo wall, and from this point
could see nearly all of that memorable
struggle.
"Day after day the Mexican fire was
kept up, and time after time were their
storming columns hurled against tho
old church wall, which formed the
Texan rampant. But nothing could
disturb the defenders At the close of
each day the Lone Star flag floated as
proudly and, apparently, as securely as
ever from the roof of the mission. The
Mexican losses were fearful. Their
clumsy escopetas were no match for
the long Hawkins rifles. Hundreds
fell every day, but they were little
missed from that overwhelming host,
while every man of the garrison who
died was an irreparable loss. The line
along the wall grew very thin. Still
there was no thought of surrender. AT
length, when death and wounds had re-
duccd the poor handful to half its
original numbers, the MeXicans effect
ed lodgment on an undefended part
of the wall. Instantly they poured in
by hundreds.
although there was now no hope of
success the brave Texans fought rs
steadily and firmly as on the first day
of the siege. The puny Mexicans
learned by the bitter experience tho
deadly power of bowie-knivcs and
dubbed rifles in the hands of desperate
Americans. But human endurance
has its limits. At length Santa Anna
was master of the Alamo, but not until
the last American lay cold in death.
From my window | could hear the
shouts and yells and see the struggling
figures.
when all was over I begged my
host to go into the Alamo and bring
me news of all that had occurred. He
came back in an hour or two, and said
that such shambles never had been
seen before. The dead were heaped in
wild confusion throughout the build
ing. The cutters fairly run with blood.
In room on the ground floor was the
corpse of Colonel Bowie. He had been
butchered upon his sick bed. Not far
from him was found the brave and &C.
centric Davy Crockett. But the most
imprcn~Se sight was in small room
in the kpper story, where the gallant
Travii lay, a bullct-hole in his fore
head. Strewn around him were the
corpses of fifteen Mcxicans, who had
died by his hand. Of the Texans not
one survived, but they did not die un-
avenged. No less than one thousand
and six hundred Mexicans fell before
less than one hundred and fifty Ameri-
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